Calla lily thriving on the rocky terrain of Table Mountain (Cape Town, S. Africa)
Holistic healthcare's price tag can be difficult to afford for a lot of people. The question that comes up at times in my practice is: "What are the basic must-haves that I need to help me move in the right direction?"
Today, I am going to go over what I think are the "bare bone basics" of healing mental health and why it's important to use them, both in terms of nutritional and energy support.
The Bare Bone Basics
What to do and why, when money is in short supply!
I remember the first time a patient told me that she couldn't afford both the initial psychiatric evaluation (with the energy work) and the supplements. It was with a graduate student. By the time she was able to afford and start on her nutritional regimen a couple of sessions later, her recovery had been so robust that her need for supplements had diminished by half. She taught me that patients can heal very well even when they don't start with a lot of nutritional support.
For those who find themselves in her financial shoes, this is the newsletter to help through tough times by explaining the bare bone basics and why they are important for the healing process:
First, nutritional support:
Make yourself a smoothie with the following foods: fruits, vegetables, a healthy fat (avocado, coconut milk, nut butter, or flax seed etc.), and a protein powder (preferably hemp protein or bone broth protein) and drink at least 8 oz. per day.
Why: this will provide all the nutrients and living enzymes in an easy to digest form and give your G.I. system a break while supplying you with high-intensity nutrients.
Take a probiotic: I recommend Perque Digesta Guard Forte 10 because it tests well in all my patients. I usually suggest a dosage of 1 capsule twice daily. Sometimes patients need more. It's safe to take more, but be sure to increase it gradually as die-off of candida in the gut can cause negative symptoms.
Why: probiotics help with digestion and detoxification. It protects your G.I. system and is like having a second liver. It is a gentle way to help you increase nutritional health and detoxification at the same time.
Multivitamin and mineral supplement: Usually I recommend Multi t/d by Pure Encapsulations at one capsule twice daily.
Why: many people have difficulty with methylation or activating folate, and minerals are hard to find in our foods nowadays. An apple in 1914 is worth 26 apples in 1997 when we compare their mineral nutrient value. Taking a multivitamin with minerals helps us to meet and exceed our daily nutrient needs so that we can start creating positive health.
Start a regular exercise routine. You don't need to strain yourself, but take advantage of the sunshine and outdoors and move your body.
Why: there are countless biological advantages that come from exercise, and it's free.
Remove foods that typically cause hypersensitivity reactions: wheat, dairy, and white refined sugars. Increase your intake of raw foods: vegetables and fruits.
Why: this will decrease inflammation and oxidative stress and bring needed nutrients and living enzymes without stressing your body's digestive and immune systems.
Second, energy support:
Do Energy Breaths twice daily. This is a guided visualization that is like the "multivitamin" of energy. It does a lot of things, beginning with giving you the energy you need to function, but through a guided visualization process rather than through food.
Why: patients who do Energy Breaths heal four times faster and need to take half the supplements they normally need. It is powerful, fast, long-lasting and thankfully, free. I believe that it also helps to decrease oxidative stress and inflammation.
Do EET or Logosynthesis regularly. Apply one or the other technique several times per week on a problem or stressor you are having or you have had in the past. These techniques are so easy a kindergartener can learn how to do them.
Why: they help you release blockages at the subconscious level and open new pathways of functional energy for you to use.
That's it.
These simple supports are surprisingly powerful in their ability to help you restore your energy and health. But, if you are on medications that numb or sedate you, just be aware that as you heal, your medications' effects may heighten and side effects may increase as you need lower dosages over time.
Hope this helps!